


Turn of the Monochrome Witch

by Featherine_Aurora



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Umineko no Naku Koro ni | When the Seagulls Cry
Genre: Gen, Mystery, School Life of Mutual Killing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-06-09 00:40:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6882406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Featherine_Aurora/pseuds/Featherine_Aurora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The school life of mutual killing was over. But two great witches, beings of incredible power, decide it would be fun to restart it. With the puppetmaster resurrected and placed once again in charge, though with knowledge of how the previous school life went, despair and hope will once again do battle. However, with the addition of a new student on the side of despair and the puppetmaster now armed with additional knowledge and less willing to give hints, will the rest of the students be able to survive?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Makoto had manged to talk with most of the students here. It was an unusual bunch, though that was to be expected with those with an Ultimate talent. Well, he'd introduced himself to all but one of them. The remaining one was the Ultimate Detective. He'd managed to gain a little info on her while trying to learn more about his fellow students in preparation for his time at the school. It was not much, though it was probably to be expected. A Detective as capable as her would have a need to keep a lot about herself secret, if simply to protect herself from suspects. Both those being targeted by her and who had been targets in the past could hurt her a lot via information about her.

She was chatting with Celes, but turned to face him as he approached. He was quite amazed that she'd gotten away with the outfit that she'd chosen. Yes, many of the Ultimates had clothing that was unusual and which would have been prohibited in other schools. But the pink and white dress was even more abnormal than Cele's gothic attire. The lavish pink bow on it's chest and the bottom half looked really layered, like a cake. She even had a lace choker. Her hair at least was not as elaborate, just being in two long twintails. The massive curled tails of Cele's hair had them beat. But, as if to compensate for this defeat by another in the area of overly elaborate appearance, there was a red flower ornament in her hair with ribbons on it that reached down to her shoulder.

But the bizarre clothing choices of this person for their first day at this academy was something to really think about at a later time. Instead, he met the gaze of the Detective's piercing blue eyes and said “Hi, I'm Makoto Naegi. I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student”. He then extended his hand forward. “I hope we can be friends”.

The girl facing him put a hand to her mouth and gave a small giggle. She then shook Makoto's hand. “Ah, I hope so too. Well, let me introduce myself. I am Erika Furudo, the Ultimate Detective”.

“Wow, that's amazing. But I have to admit that the prospect of witnessing your talent soon isn't as appealing as I wish it was. Sorry, but we're apparently trapped here and I'm not sure how this happened. Do you have any ideas, Erika?”

“Not yet. Well, you'll be seeing me at work on this problem soon enough and I'll be sure to share my deductions with you. Hopefully, it'll just be for our current predicament of being trapped here. There's something of a superstition regarding detectives and us being omens of death. It wouldn't be that shocking if one of us died, given the circumstances. A group of people being trapped in a building like this would be something quite suited for part of a horror story or a murder mystery”.

Makoto was unsure how to process how Erika had so readily put forward the idea of death. But her next comment, made with a nice smile on her face, put him at ease.

“Ah, don't worry. Superstitions are just absurd nonsense and this is reality. While we are in a troublesome situation and it would be wise to be cautious, we need to all try to keep our heads clear and think carefully. Indulging unfounded fears will not help us. Besides, the people in this group are a capable bunch. I think we can handle any problem well enough with a bit of effort”.

That little bit of assurance was quite welcome for Makoto, given the situation. It did have a hole in it, in that some of the people here had talents that Makoto doubted would help them in dealing with the obstacles to getting out of here. But it was still a thoughtful gesture. So, he thought he'd try to say something assuring in return. He doubted the Detective needed it, but that didn't mean he shouldn't try.

But the words of encouragement died on his lips as he looked into her eyes. They suddenly were blank, as was the expression on her face. “Erika?”. No response. He repeated her name. Again, no response. Then, though it was a bit odd to do this, he reached out to touch her. But before he actually touched her, she blinked. “Oh, sorry Makoko, I was just lost in my thoughts”.

“Really? It looked like your mind had taken a vacation for a moment there”.

With Erika now glaring at him, he hastily said “Sorry, but you weren't reacting to anything at all. Are you sure you're okay?”

“Yes, I'm fine”. The answer was clearly dismissive and meant to shut down that line of inquiry. So, Makoto decided to talk about something else. Erika quickly provided a topic, though one was a bit unusual. To be precise, she began to lecture him on the virtues of chopsticks and how they were the only proper way to eat anything. With that, his mind moved away from her bizarre freeze a few moments ago and on to figuring out how you could eat a bowl of ice cream with chopsticks.

But he had made a correct observation, even if that observation had not been serious. For a moment, Erika's mind really had been somewhere else.

 

* * *

 

Erika had found herself suddenly sitting in a comfortable chair, in a room she was unfamiliar with. She'd been summoned while talking to Makoto. Well, it's not like he had anything important to say. As long as her time here did not end up equating to a meaningful amount of time passed at Hope's Peak, it would not be a problem.

This room was a part of the meta-world, a layer of existence above that of mortals. This was where the great witches lived, watching over humans and seeking ways to alleviate their boredom. Boredom was like poison to witches and so they would search for anything that would alleviate their boredom. The struggles of humans were one effective remedy, which was why Erika had been brought to Hope's Peak by her master. This tale, this struggle between hope and despair, would serve to alleviate the boredom of her master.

Well, she'd be seeing this room a lot, so she took a look at her surroundings. In the middle of the room was a wooden table with a chessboard on it. This chessboard was a representation of the world of Hope's Peak Academy. There were a number of bookshelves and wine storage racks around, no doubt for the sake of her master, who enjoyed both tales and wine. There was even a table at the side of the room that would be quite suited to dining from, such as if a witch felt like having a curry at some point. Her master loved spicy food. So, another feature there likely for the sake of pleasing her.

But, though there were these features, most of the room was decorated in colours that she doubted her master would have approved of. All of them were garish neon colours, with neon pink being prominently used, such as for the curtains of the room. There were also a number of displays and computers that were quite an odd sight for the room of a witch's game. Those were likely elements chosen by the game master, the one who controlled Hope's Peak and it's denizens.

With her were three other people. Well, for one of them, person was a rather odd word to use. After all, it was a small bear. Monokuma, the self-appointed headmaster of Hope's Peak and the game master, was drinking a glass of wine and handling the task admirably, given his lack of normal hands. She supposed it was to be expected that the Mastermind would insist on not using their true form here, thus keeping their identity secret. For a bear small enough that an adult could easy hold it like it was a plush toy, it had a surprisingly menacing appearance. The contrast between the white side of it's body, which looked like a regular bear, and the black side which had a glowing red eye and razor sharp teeth, was interesting. Perhaps it was symbolic in some way.

Then there was her master. Frederica Bernkastel, the great Witch of Miracles, who was sipping on a glass of wine in a most elegant manner. Naturally. Her master was, of course, the picture of regal magnificence, with her black and white gothic dress being still as pretty as ever and the blue hair she shared with Erika looking especially luxuriant.

The third person was Lambdadelta, Witch of Certainty. Of course, she was in her childish and silly pink dress, slurping her wine in a most grotesque manner. It was even more disgusting than the no doubt perverted thoughts this Witch probably dwelling in her mind right now in regards to her master, like...

Erika was suddenly hit on the forehead with a bit of candy, which brought her attention to a frowning Lambdadelta.

“Could you stop with the insanely yellow narration? If you keep that up, this tale will be unbearable”.

Then Lambdadelta returned to drinking her wine, which she did in a perfectly normal manner!?! Wait, what was this? Erika was sure that Lambdadelta had been slurping her wine in a most inelegant way, unsuited for one who considered herself to be Bernkastel-sama's beloved. No matter, for the great Erika Furudo would drink her wine in a way that was far more elegant than anything Lambdadelta could pull off.

Wait, how would she do that? For a minute, Erika sat there, trying to think her way to a solution to this. She would probably have continued that for a while, if she had not been stopped by the sound of her master's voice.

“Erika, just drink your wine already”.

“Umm, yes master”.

Having had her chain of thoughts broken, Erika now felt rather embarrassed at what she'd just been doing. So, she quietly sipped at her wine as her master talked.

“Now for the prologue of this tale.” Bernkastel stated, while playing with a bit of her hair. “First, the headmaster will make their grand entrance and begin applying pressure to get them to murder. This will not take long. **Once the first incentive has been put forward, one of the students will certainly be murdered within 24 hours of that occurring** ”.

That last sentence had been spoken with the red truth, the words appearing in the air in vibrant red for a moment befor disappearing. The red truth was pure truth given form and beyond questioning. If something was said with the red truth, there was no room for doubt. Such was the power available to witches. Erika could use it too, being the Witch of Truth, but she could only interact with the other students as a human detective, not as a witch. That meant she could not use the red truth against them. Well, she was a genius detective. That would be enough.

So a murder would occur very soon. How exciting.

“That will be according to the script from last time, right Headmaster?”

“Yes, that's right and it'll be an easy one. Honestly, I'm surprised it took the students as long as they did to figure it out last time” Monokuma replied while swirling his wine glass. Noticing that Erika was looking at him with a sour expression, he added “Hey, don't blame me. I'm only doing that because Lady Bernkastel asked me to. For a good reason, mind you”.

“Ah, I know you'd rather do things differently from the beginning. But I think my little pet kitten would benefit from observing the others first before we move to the new material. I'm sure you agree, right?”

“Yes, totally. That's fine”. Erika knew that Monokuma had very different feelings to what he was expressing. But he wouldn't be saying them out loud, for the same reason Erika was just sitting there drinking her wine as ordered. Bernkastel had fished Monokuma, or the puppetmaster behind him, from the grave and gave them a chance to replay their game against the Ultimate Students as many times as they wished. The Academy was now a boardgame that the witches could toy around with until they got bored. To aid in that, the puppetmaster was elevated to the level of witch, as the Witch of Despair and would be the gamemaster of this new board.

Of course, such gifts would be swiftly ripped from the hands of Monokuma if Bernkastel was ever dissatisfied with him. That was why he'd allowed Erika's addition to the group and the transference of the Ultimate Detective title to her. He'd need to be on his best behavior when dealing with Bernkastel and he knew it. Though Erika would not be that much of a problem for him. Her targets were the other students. Erika would not be bothering with the mystery of the academy.

“Good”. With that single word, Bernkastel fell silent and let Lambdadelta take over the conversation.

Of course, a game needed an oppenent. Erika would not be opposing the puppetmaster, so the role would fall again on Makoto Naegi on the board level. As for who would be handling that role here, that was one of the reasons Lambdadelta was here. Makoto would be her piece. When asked why she had stuck with the protagonist character, she just said that his ahoge was cute.

As much as Erika liked to dismiss Lambdadelta and look down on her, thanks to the attention she got from the master, she had to admit that Lambdadelta was somewhat competent. So, it was certain that she had other reasons for her choice than the stated one. Since her piece had defeated the puppetmaster in the last school life of mutual killings, it did make sense, even if he was less capable in some respects when compared to others like Kirigiri.

Lambdadelta then, with a playful tone to her voice, spoke up. “Well, Erika, you have work to do. Don't expect me to go easy on you or the puppet master. I intend to certainly win this game. Do try your best though. An easy fight would be boring and you know how we witches hate boredom, right? I want a super-cute, fun and perfect battle of wits between culprits and our detective. You'd better live up to my expectations or I'll be really upset”

Erika gulped. When witches were bored, they tended to do anything they could to relieve it. Though she was a witch herself, she was less powerful than either Lambdadelta or Bernkastel. If they decided that the game and her efforts in it weren't interesting enough, neither would hesitate to cruelly play with her or just break her if that wasn't interesting and then get a new toy to play with.

So, Erika left. She did have a job to do. Or rather, Bernkastel clicked her fingers and Erika disappeared into a blue cloud, her form gone when it dispersed and her mind back in her body in Hope's Peak, a mere moment from the point she'd left it.

Upon Erika's departure, Lambdadelta's expression switched from a playful one to a more serious one. “Well, I'm sure some of the theatre-going witches observing this tale are wondering who you are, Monokuma. The rest, I'd imagine, are just wondering how long it'll take us to get around to saying your name. But I have no interest in stringing them along, Junko”.

Monokuma started gazing downward, a gloomy expression on his face. It was amazing how the black and white bear managed to turn his face blue or how he had a cloud actually floating over his head. But magic enabled all sorts of things. In fact, Lambdadelta mused, it would be nice if Bern had to do something like that. Sometimes, the blank expressions Bernkastel wore made it hard to even Lambdadelta to read her and guess how she really was feeling.

“Ah, couldn't you have left the mystery live for a little longer?” the bear grumbled.

“It really wasn't a mystery. All the theatre-going witches know it's you. Well, there's probably a few who thought otherwise, but having them wonder about that and make stupid theories would be tiring. So, I decided to just reveal it now”.

Monokuma, or rather Junko Enoshima, reacted with a greatly exaggerated display of sorrow. The bear's face was still a shade of blue, but there now seemed to be tears in the bear's eyes. “But..but.. How could you be so mean!? The grand reveal of my secret identity was meant to be saved until the very end! Now everything is ruined! Ruuuuineed forever!!!!”

The bear then was quiet, sipping at his wine, or her wine to be accurate. “Well, as you said, it's old news. We might as well get it out of the way.” Junko said in a disinterested tone, as though she hadn't been raging about the reveal a mere moment ago.

The bear then pulled it's face into an expression that Lambdadelta guessed was meant to be adorable. “Aww, sowwy readers, but the mastermind is still little old me. In fact, here's a cute bit of red truth for you guys. **In this game, Junko Enoshima is still the mastermind responsible for setting up the situation in Hope's Peak. Also, the collapse of civilization still happened and Junko Enoshima is responsible for it**. Buuuut… I doubt any of you expected otherwise”.

“I also have a bit of red truth to give the theatre-going witches”

Both Junko and Lambdadelta turned their attention to Bernkastel, who'd just spoke up. “Oh, what's that?” Lambdadelta said with a smile. “Yes, I'm curious too. What truth do you have for our viewers? You'd better not be giving up anything important” was Junko's comment as she too awaited Bernkastel's red truth.

“ **In this game, the chance of the students ending this game without plunging into despair is zero. Also, it is improbable that any of them will survive for long if any of them do escape. Even if they do, they will still be isolated from any other people who could help them** ”.

“Hmm, Bern, I imagine a few will be annoyed by that red truth. You did something interesting, didn't you?”

“Well, our puppetmaster did it. Magic can do the most amazing things, right?”

“Despair really is something amazing. I suppose you could consider the highest forms of despair a form of magic. So, if you think like that, this'll be a tale filled with wondrous magic. Doesn't that sound nice?” Junko replied, a malicious smile on Monokuma's face as she did. Then the three witches burst into maniacal laughter, thoughts of the joy the upcoming game would give them filling them with glee.

 

* * *

 

Well, after everything that had happened since that meeting, Erika had not expected it to lead to something so embarrassingly dull.

As expected, the students had been called to the gymnasium and Monokuma had appeared, informing them of the school life of mutual killing. If any of them wanted to ever get out of this place, they would need to kill another student and get away with it without any of the other students finding out they did it. This had not been enough to get things moving, so Monokuma had given them all CDs with messages to motivate them. Erika's message had simply been one from her master, reminding her that she should diligently serve her role or Bernkastel might get bored and decide to get rid of her.

Erika shuddered at the thought of returning to the endless void of oblivion, that empty place that she'd been stuck in after failing to beat her master's foe in a previous mystery game and was struck down by a lethal injury. Then, her master had tossed her into oblivion, that infinite pit of nothingness where those useless to witches were often flung into when they got bored of playing with them. There, there was nothing to do but rot alone for all eternity. Yes, she had managed to think things over and figure out where she'd gone wrong in her understanding of that mystery while stuck there. She'd been luckier still in that Bernkastel had decided Erika could still be useful and had scooped her out of it so that she could serve her master again. Yet it still was not a place she'd ever wish to return to, if she could help it.

Well, when the next day dawned, it was revealed that a student had been murdered. To make things better, one of the students decided to pick a fight with Monokuma and was promptly removed from the game. A pit trap was not a very interesting way to do that, really. Erika had hoped for something with a bit more blood involved. Instead, Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista, just disappeared into a hole in the floor. But it was wonderful how almost all the students had leapt to a position of complete distrust of Makoto Naegi when it was revealed that the murder scene was his bathroom. His cheesy optimism was annoying, so his expressions of shock and fear as nearly everyone instantly turned against him was really pleasurable. Just thinking about that pitiful look on his face was wonderful.

Then she'd looked at the crime scene and the facts of the case. Her master had been quite right that this was a very easy case, in which she and the other students would be able to evaluate each other. Her opinion of most of the others, based on what she was seeing, was low and sinking lower as she now observed the class trial.

Kyoko Kirigiri, the former Ultimate Detective and currently now title-less Ultimate, had figured it out. What she had said concerning the bloody dying message from the victim and about looking at it from different angles was solid evidence for that. After all, doing that would reveal it to be a name, Leon. Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate All-Star, was the culprit. Once you had that message, it was easy enough to connect everything else together and uncover the truth. Thankfully, that ex-detective was content to limiting herself to giving hints to the others and pushing Makoto towards the truth of this case. Such was all that Kyoko deserved.

But, in spite of Kyoko giving such a clue to everyone during the investigation, they were all insistent that Makoto was the culprit. It was absurd. It was possible that Togami and Celes were just holding back as she was, given that they both seemed intelligent and calculating. Yet the remaining students were quite oblivious and reliant on Makoto, with bits of help from Kyoko, to save them. It was pathetic. Well, at least Leon's execution was fun to watch.

Well, this was just the beginning. From this point on, the game master would be deviating from the original script. Of course, Erika had her own plans. She already had decided on two people who would be focused upon. The first was Makoto. He had managed to show to some deductive ability during the trial and his response to Leon's execution had been to redirect the anger of of the students towards the puppet master in a speech that had been successful on most of the students. He both could get in the way of her future investigations and would work to stop future murders. Erika needed more murders if she was to serve her role as the detective. So, Makoto was a threat.

Next, there was Celes. That woman was a walking heap of lies and illusions, all covering who she really was. The face that she'd make when Erika shattered the illusion of Celestia Ludenburg to bits would surely be exquisitely pathetic.

Admittedly, Kyoko would be a problem. She might be sticking to the sidelines, but she was still someone who could upstage Erika. But that could be dealt with. For now, Erika let her head fill with images of the misery she intended to inflict upon her two targets as she utterly crushed them, a demonic smile briefly emerging on her face as she left the execution chamber.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: I admit, this is something I whipped up in a relatively short amount of time, about three days for most of it. This was for the sake of finally adding another chapter to this fic. I hope it is still interesting for you to read in spite of that. I actually ended up splitting a bit off, so chapter 3 should be much quicker in arriving.

It was the morning after the trial. Kyoko was honestly still processing what had happened so far. A student had committed murder, which would increase the pressure on the others to get out of here as soon as possible. Hopefully, the brutal execution of Leon would provide some deterrence. The idea of going out in a similar manner might make some reconsider the idea of murder as a solution to their plight.

Kyoko shuddered at that thought. Not only was there that problem, but she still had that of her memories. To be precise, it was of memories that were clearly missing. Details about her family, such as her parent's profession or what her father looked like were impossible to recall. There were substantial gaps in her memory across most of her life. Even why she'd come to this academy in the first place or what Ultimate Talent she had were things that were a mystery.

So was the reason why her hands had horrible burns on them or why she seemed to have an understanding of criminal investigations and forensics. Kyoko had been able to draw upon knowledge on these things when helping the other's solve Sayaka's murder. Yet she had no idea how or when she obtained these skills. Combined with the mysteries of their prison, she had a lot to piece together and little assistance.

In theory, Kyoko could try asking Makoto for help. He had proven himself to be capable during the class trial. Yet she suspected that the puppetmaster considered her a serious threat, if the extent of memory alterations was considered. So, Makoto or any other student she tried to enlist would be in further danger that they already were if Monokuma caught on to the collaboration. Plus, she did not know Makoto that well, if she was to be honest. Given the situation, that was not the best ground for a partnership.

For now, her own skills would have to be enough. Kyoko would offer assistance where reasonable, but her priority was the secrets of the academy. They needed to gain any information that could help them get out of Hope's Peak. As things stand, it would only be a matter of time before there was another murder.

Well, she had to go to the morning meeting. She crawled out of bed and got dressed quickly, though taking care as always when putting on her gloves. She couldn't dawdle. There was a lot to do. Plus. Kiyotaka would end up taking more of her time reprimanding her if she was late. He'd also probably be worried about Kyoko's time keeping the future. That would potentially reduce her freedom to act, if she needed to do something important near a meeting time or something like that.

On the way, she bumped into Makoto. He looked like he hadn't slept well either. That was to be expected, since he had been personally connected to the events of the class trial. He was also a very caring person. It was an admirable trait, though it could cause problems in a situation like this, especially when combined with his naivete.

“Hey, Kyoko. Good morning”.

Well, she did have to admit that his attempts at being upbeat and keeping his spirits were a blessing. So was his smile. Kyoko could tell he was forcing it a bit. Yet it felt good to see him smile like that. It was a pity she could not reciprocate. But it was better to remain cool and detached to the other students. So, instead, Kyoko looked at him with indifference, a dull “Good morning” being her only response.

Makoto seemed a bit uncomfortable with that. But he persevered. “How are you doing?”

“Fine”.

It was a bit rude, perhaps, but she didn't really feel like talking. But Makoto continued. “That's good to hear. Well, I doubt you need it, but please feel free to ask if there's anything I can help you with. Yeah, I admit my talent is probably of no use, but I want to do anything I can to help”.

Kyoko had to admit that it was a good attitude to have, that of trying to do whatever he could to aid his fellow students in this situation. Yet he was right. Her efforts to investigate the school would be easier on her own. Makoko had proven capable during the class trial, but he was still a potential liability during her searches. They required certain skills that the investigation for the class trial did not. For example, he was far too trusting. In the class trial, Monokuma already knew everything. But for own investigation, it was essential that Monokuma did not get even a hint at what she was doing. That alone might be enough to let them figure out what she was doing and sabotage her investigation.

“I'll keep that in mind”.

With that, the conversation was stopped. But Makoto tried again with a different topic. “Thanks for the help during the investigation. If not for your help, we'd all have been screwed”.

“As you say, it was hardly like it was optional. We all would have died if we'd got the trial vote wrong. Besides, you did a lot of work yourself. I just did a bit to push your efforts in the right direction. You managed to deduce the truth mostly on your own”.

It was merely a statement of fact, yet Makoto seemed to have trouble responding to it. Eventually, he settled on “Thanks”.

Makoto was then silent, but he seemed to thinking about something he might want to say. Judging from his troubled expression, she had an idea what it was.

“There was nothing you could have do differently with the knowledge you had at the time. Sayaka and Leon's deaths are not your fault. Well, unless you really do have psychic powers”. She added the last bit in the hope that the use of his own joke might help. He did chuckle a bit, but her words did not seem to have had much effect.

“Yeah, that's right. But I'm actually worrying about my family. They were the hostages taken by Monokuma as an incentive. But now that the first murder has occurred, will the mastermind keep them alive? It's possible they are already dead”.

Kyoko was not sure what to say. He did have a point. In fact, all the hostages used could have been killed right after the videos had been created. But she did need try and reassure him.

“Yes, that is a possibility. Yet the mastermind behind this could still use them. There's no guarantee that there will be more murders. So, the mastermind has a good reason to keep the hostages alive, if only as a means of keeping us in check and manipulate us”.

Makoto sighed. “I guess you're right”. He then smiled. “That means I need to work harder to help in getting us out, right? The sooner we figure that out, the sooner I can make sure they're okay”. He then chuckled. “Komaru would think I was talking about one of the manga series she likes to talk about if I told her I described this situation to her. Heh, I bet there's at least one manga or game like it.

“Perhaps I'd have an idea on how to get out of here if I'd listened to her better when she talked about that stuff?” Makoko added jokingly. “Well, listening to her would be wonderful if it meant I could see her again”.

Kyoko was going to ask him what he was talking about, but they had reached the cafeteria entrance. Makoto then moved ahead of her and went through the doors first.

He was a surprisingly resilient person. It was another piece of evidence that made her wonder if keeping him out of her own investigation was the right move.

 

* * *

 

  
Erika had arrived at the cafeteria first, judging from the way she dashed from the kitchen. It looked like she had been busy there. Kyoko was a bit surprised by this.

“Greetings, everyone. I thought that, after what happened yesterday, everyone could probably use a bit of a treat. I hope it's to your liking”.

She then brought out a tray. On it was some tea for everyone. To be precise, she'd made royal milk tea. This was found out as Celestia took a sip. “Ah, how nice”. She gave her usual sugary smile. “Well done. It's surprising how many fail to prepare a cup of tea properly”.

Yasuhiro was frowning. “If you ask me, it tastes a bit odd”

Celes narrowed her eyes, clear distaste shown in them. “It would seem odd to you. I doubt you've ever had a decent cup of tea in your life”.

Interrupting this potential argument before it started, Erika said “I've also prepared some food. Just give me a few moments, please”. She then went back into the kitchen and came back out with another tray. She went back again for another couple of trays. Having done that, she had managed to bring out a decent selection of food.

On the trays were nearly a dozen cooked dishes, plus some extra items like slices of toast and assorted condiments. There was even a couple of boxes of doughnuts. These immediately attracted the attention of Aoi.

“Oh, great! I could really use some of those after yesterday. Thanks, Erika”.

She grabbed both boxes and took them to a table, already working on devouring them before she reached it.

Erika smiled at that. “It was no trouble. As I said before, I felt everyone could use something like this after what happened yesterday”.

Sakura gave a small smile in response. “Though I am no chef, I'd imagine it took a lot of effort to prepare all this. You have my gratitude”.

“Mine too” added Aoi. Most of the group then offered their thanks, though not all in ways that were desirable.

It was with a grin that was a bit creepy that Hifumi gave his own comment on the meal. “Ohoho! With this treat combined with your unusual dress, perhaps it's a sign that you worked at a maid cafe once? What a delight!”

Erika's smile twitched, yet she limited her reaction to that. Instead of doing more, she ignored those words and instead responded to the others.

“Ah, thank you all. I'm glad to be of help, if only a little”.

Really, it was quite a treat for everyone and also impressive that it had all been done by Erika. The young detective had apparently set out to bolster morale a little with this gesture and had succeeded admirably.

The others were impressed and they started eagerly helping themselves to the food. Aoi was the most eager in taking extra portions, though Hifumi also helped himself to a fair few. Celes limited herself, though had plenty of royal milk tea. The rest had normal portions.

Well, apart from Byakuya and Touko who decided not to bother with it. Byakuya was clearly doing it out of paranoia. Touko on the other hand seemed to actually want the food. But she did not trust Erika. To be fair, she did not trust anyone. Even Makoto had received plenty of bile and distrustful comments about how he was obviously trying to trick her with his acts of kindness.

There was also the matter of her crush on Byakuya. Her refusal to eat the food was also likely in part an effort to stand with Byakuya on the matter. It was very silly, but it was hard to attack a person for being too paranoid in a situation like this. Besides, that would likely involve enough effort that Kyoko was sure to draw attention to herself. That was something she'd prefer to avoid.

“Hmm, how ridiculous”.

Everyone turned to Byakuya, who was smirking as he made his remark. “I don't know what is the most absurd feature of this, that you all are so ready to accept this farce or that Erika was willing so willing to set it up. But perhaps she has other intentions. This could be to lull the others into a false sense of security in preparation for your move. Yes, that would make sense”.

He then looked briefly at Erika. “Perhaps I should watch out for you. You could be a serious competitor in this game”.

Aoi frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”

Byakuya continued to look smug. “It means exactly what I said. You all are idiots. I'd have thought that the events of yesterday would have made the situation clear to everyone. Well, allow me. This is a deadly situation where the only hope of survival is to graduate. As for any plans of working together in peaceful harmony, the result of that has been shown. Farcical gestures like this meal aren't going to prevent further murders. If you expect otherwise, you deserve to end up dead!”,

Aoi glared at Byakuya. “That's terrible. How can you say something that awful?”

“It's just the truth of the situation. Either accept it or that you'll be trapped here forever. There's no solid chance that we'll be rescued, so if you're unwilling to play this game, prepare to get comfortable in your new home. Either that or I'll happily ensure you avoid that fate when I graduate. I have no intention of letting myself rot here or becoming a victim.”.

His expression changed to one of resolute determination. He was no longer smiling and his piercing blue eyes seemed to radiate his determination, as though he could crush anyone who'd dare to challenge him with sheer force of willpower. “No, I'll be the one to win this game. I won't let there be any other outcome”.

Everyone was looking at Byakuya, either looking shocked or glaring at him. Then the silence was interrupted by Erika, who had a grim smile on her face. “You're certainly confident. But you will not be graduating, or even attempting that any time soon”.

Byakuya glared at Erika. “I have every intention of doing what I need to in order to win. Or perhaps it is my competence that you question?”

“Oh, I believe you are more than capable. It is actually that which makes you an unlikely culprit, given how you've declared your intentions. Everyone knows you are both highly motivated and capable of planning murder. You are also unpopular with the others”.

Erika was then interrupted by Touko. Glaring at Erika, she declared “Th..that's just your opinion. You're just saying that because you're inferior to him and you know that. At least.. at least, he doesn't dress so weirdly. What the hell is up with what you're wearing?”

Erika just ignored that comment. She just continued. “So, you will be immediately suspected and few will be inclined to listen to you. In fact, I'm sure you'll be suspected no matter what, so you've actually made it easier for any others who might wish to kill. Really, you might have decreased your chances of winning by this arrogance of yours”.

Erika's smile became brighter. It seemed she was enjoying this.

“So, I'm sure you won't be murdering anyone, at least for the time being. You'll wait for a better time than this, which might take a while. The others aren't going to forget your speech quickly and you know that. But I will be keeping an eye out for that moment. After all, I am the Detective. I really cannot permit something like that to happen”

“You did nothing to stop Leon from murdering another”.

“”Hmmm”. Erika frowned. “While I'll try my best, I'm hardly infallible. All I can do try to limit what can happen. Anyway, a murder committed by your hand really will not do”.

“By that, you mean what exactly?”

“I mean exactly what I said. I will not permit you to become a culprit”. With that, Erika fell silent, awaiting Byakuya's response. He merely smiled, confidently declaring “We'll see if you are capable of accomplishing such a deed. In any case, I'm sure your efforts will be help make this game interesting”.

“Er… what do you mean by that, Master Byakuya Togami?” This came from Hifumi, who was clearly unnerved by what Byakuya was saying.

“It means I have every intention of enjoying this game. This is an experience and challenge that is rare in this world. It is a true test of wits, with the ultimate penalty for the loser. I'm not going to let it go to waste. In fact, I hope one of you will be the next to attempt murder. Another trial would be fun and I'd have more information to help me in planning my own graduation. Now, I've wasted enough time here with you plebeians”.

So, Byakuya left, with Touko quickly following after him, taking a moment to glare at them all before passing through the cafeteria doors.

Erika sighed and then turned to face Kyoko.

“Well, Kyoko, what do you think of Byakya's conduct? It's pretty shameful, right? You'd think the Ultimate Prodigy would be able to keep his mouth shut at least a little bit. Instead, he's just being troublesome”. This was said with a tired smile on Erika's face.

“True, but there's nothing that can be done about his attitude” Kyoko calmly replied. “ All we can do in regards to Byakuya is exercise caution, since I don't think a person like him will be changing his attitude soon. Now, he might have a desire to entertain himself, but the rest of us have other priorities, such as gathering more information about our situation”. There seemed to be more to this query than mere annoyance with Byakuya. Even before the class trial, Byakuya had been extremely arrogant and unpleasant. This attitude had gotten worryingly worse. But, it seemed more like Erika was examining her, more interested in how she responded. How curious.

“Certainly” Celes added. “We really need to think about how we can avoid a repeat of what happened with Sayaka and Leon. If we don't try to better adapt ourselves to this situation, then another murder is really inevitable”.

“What would you suggest?”

Erika looked thoughtful as she said that. “Like everyone here, I don't want any more murders to occur. So, please, give us your thoughts on this matter, Celes”.

Celeste seemed a little surprised by that. Given how everyone had reacted to her suggestions to adapt so far, it was to be expected that an actual willingness to listen would be odd to her at this point. But she quickly had her usual sweet smile back up and calmly explained herself.

“First, there's the matter of the night-time curfew. We've already had people break it. So, we all need to actually take it seriously and abide by it”.

“But I doubt Byakuya will ever do that, Celes. Even without his expressed intentions, he has a large ego. It would be impossible to stop him from breaking the curfew if he wishes”.

“Yes, I admit that is mostly correct. But I do think it might be possible to persuade Byakuya to adhere to the curfew”.

Erika failed at holding back a laugh, instead only reducing it to a chuckle that she had to struggle to stop. “How are you going to do that?”

Celes's initial response was silence. But she did respond. “I know it would be difficult. But we do need to try if we really want to ensure there are no more killings. Plus, if everyone else keeps to it, then Byakuya will be the only suspect if something does happen. As you said, he is smart enough to want to avoid that”.

Erika nodded. “That's correct. Yet he might do something anyway. Plus, having one person violate that rule will make it easier for others to justify doing so. Unless you can ensure that Byakuya agrees to the curfew, you can't ensure everyone else will keep to it. If you can't ensure that, then it'll be impossible to get Byakuya to agree to it himself. He already considers himself to be better than the rest of us. If the curfew is something us ”plebeians” are breaking, why should he bother with it?

“Well, I'll wish you the best if you want to try to persuade Byakuya to change his mind. But I think we need to expect him to break it and plan accordingly”.

“Yes, I see your point. Very well”. After that, Celes did have a proposal, which she then put forward. “I'd suggest we minimise the degree in which we split up the group. Perhaps we should limit ourselves to groups of three or more? Each person alone is at risk, either of becoming a target or being tempted to attempt graduation themselves”.

“I'd never kill anyone!” Aoi declared.

“Perhaps, but we can't have a rule that's just imposed on some of us. Then, no one would accept it, thus making it pointless”.

“I agree” Sakura declared. “But it would be good if it were to be implemented. If properly organized, it could significantly reduce the chance of further tragedies. Besides, spending more time together might help our ability to work as a team and thus assist our escape. At a minimum, it might prevent unfortunate misunderstandings”.

Kiyotaka, who'd been quiet up to that point, spoke up. “Well, it is an excellent suggestion. Yet we really can't implement any of them unless we all agree on them. So, I wish you the best of luck in trying to persuade Byakuya. If I can help, feel free to ask. After all, getting him to work with us more is of the utmost importance”.

Celes nodded. After that, the conversation stalled and they all returned to eating their meals. Kyoko was again thinking. She knew Erika was most likely correct in regards to Byakuya. But it was clear tensions were increasing. Something bad was going to happen sooner or later. Plus, she doubted the puppetmaster was going to just lie back and leave things be. They would surely make their next move soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: It's been just over a month since my last update. As much as I'd like to pretend I've been hard at work during that time, I've really produced this over the last couple of days. So, please take that it considering when deciding whether I should be devoured alive by a horde of internet reviewer goats or not. It would be a bit of a pain if that happened again.
> 
> Well, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter.

“Oh, your pawn is very interesting. But mine are pretty interesting too”.

Bernkastel and Junko were together in the game room. Bernkastel was drinking some wine, with her usual emotionless expression on her face. Junko was not in the form of Monokuma this time. Instead, she was in her human form. Slovenly lounging in her chair, she had a big grin on her face.

“Yes, you have that martial artist like last time” Bernkastel replied. “Plus, there's the other Junko. What's her name again?”

“Ahhh, how could you forget my poor sister's name? That's so awful, to be dismissed as a character like that, in spite of her role in events!”.

Junko declared this with a greatly exaggerated expression of sorrow, her eyes filling with tears and her voice carrying an unmistakable tone of melancholy. But it was gone in an instant. It was with a cheery smile that Junko added “Well, I did kill her off in the first act last time. She spent her time alive doing a low grade impression of me, then was pushed off the stage and only returned as a corpse. I suppose it would be easy to forget such a despairingly unmemorable character. But she'll be able to do a lot more this time around”.

Bernkastel's expression did not change in response to Junko's affected display of misery. Such displays, even when genuine, rarely affected her and, even then, rarely in the way the affected others. But she did smile slightly at the last sentence.

“Oh, I hope so. If she cannot entertain us, then Mukuro does not deserve the good fortune of having been spared”.

“Yes, that would be despairingly awful, wouldn't it? Little sister Mukuro gets a fresh chance of meeting her sister's expectations and she totally blows it, That would be just pathetic”. With that thought, Junko's face twisted into an expression of perverse satisfaction, her checks red and a bit of drool even leaking from her mouth. Bernkastel just sipped her wine, clearly not caring about this bizarre display. Instead, she kept drinking, patiently allowing her host to enjoy her thoughts. After a minute of this, Junko suddenly frowned.

“But I have a game to win. So, she'd better not screw up”.

“Oh, certainly” Bernkastel replied in her usual monotone manner. “I have my expectations and she'd better not disappoint them. By the way, you should be wary of her crush on Makoto. That certainly has the potential to cause you trouble”.

Junko sighed. “Yeah, it does. So, how bad was it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I'm sure you've seen that potential trouble, How bad was it?”

Grinning unpleasantly, Bernkastel had a simple response. “Very badly. No one died. Everyone escaped, full of hope”.

“Wow, that's bad. That's even worse than I expected. How did I screw up that badly?”

“You didn't, really. Well, apart from including that special prize in the monomono machine. But not expecting him to regain his memories from that was just being realistic. That was absurd”.

“Yeah”. Junko then grinned. “But I'm controlling a bunch of robotic bears as my avatars as I manipulate a bunch of eccentrics into killing each other, then execute the loser of the round in a cartoonish manner. I can't really complain. I mean, my death involved getting a speech worthy of a shounen series hero, then going through all the previous punishments. The later was fun, though I will admit it was a bit silly”.

“Oh, I've seen worse. I've had a foe of mine magically resurrect themselves, pull a sword out of their chest and then force me into a stalemate. Thankfully, I am a witch, so suffering broken blood vessels from stupidity induced elevated blood pressure is not a problem. If it were, Lambda would have killed me a long time ago”.

Junko's response was to pout. “That's hardly fair. I'm limited to experiences from my mortal life, yet you have your life as a witch. How can I bring up anything to compare to that?”. Her expression then became thoughtful. “But as a witch, I do have the chance to outdo you yet. Besides, there is something despairingly wonderful in those possibilities that are no longer possibilities for this tale. I'd imagine that the bitter despair that the version of me in that world where everyone lived was a really unique experience. It is one I'll never experience myself”. Junko seemed to be rather glum as she contemplated that.

“I could show you that world one day”

With other people, an offer to show them a world where they had their plans crushed would be a threat. It was softer than Bernkastel's usual threats, since she preferred to inflict much more suffering than that. Yet it would still be a threat. But for Junko, it was more like suggesting a place for a vacation. Her distinctive outlook meant she could find a perverse sort of silver lining in all sorts of horrible things. It did make threatening her harder, but being the only one who could give her more and more chances for greater despair filled experiences did give Bernkastel some leverage.

Bernkastel then decided to return to the topic of the other member of Ultimate Despair.

“What is Mukuro doing now?”

“That's a secret”.

“You're not going tell me. What about a hint?”

Junko looked like she was seriously considering it. But her response, made with her changing the style of her hair and putting on a pair of glasses for her sexy teacher persona, showed how wrong that was. “It would be better if you consider the answer to your query on your own, without undue assistance. Figuring out things on your own is a vital skill, one I should not hinder by answering everything for you. Don't worry, I'm sure you can solve it”.

“Fine. You should be more accommodating to your guests, but I see you have no intention of that”. Bernkastel now had a bit of her hair twisted around her finger, fiddling with it as she thought about the situation.

“I assume she's watching the others from the shadows. Like the martial artist, she'll be available as an option if you need to push the students towards murder. You can also reintroduce her to the class if you think it could help you. At this point though, the students are already set to murder, so Mukuro isn't needed. Plus, she is a bit unreliable, considering her crush on Makoto. I'd imagine you will be putting forward an incentive, like in the last game, just to be safe”.

“Excellent answer. Top marks for you, Bern”.

“Don't use that nickname. Anyway, last time, you used their secrets at this point to push them to murder. I hope you aren't going to just repeat that strategy. It might have worked, but it would also be boring”.

“I'll be keeping those secrets for now. Maybe I'll use them later. But I'll be using the carrot approach for now”.

Junko grinned, her teeth bared like a predator.

“After all, what else can I do with ten billion yen in this dead world?”

 

* * *

 

  
Celes was on her way to her room. It was nearly night time. Besides, even without the curfew, she had a lot to think about.

On the one hand, there had been little of interest in the areas opened up. Certainly, there was nothing that would aid in the escape of either the group or any student from this place. That was to be expected. Well, there was the library and the pool. Both would help make this place a bit more tolerable. Of course, everyone was still driven towards getting out of here. But there was only one way to do that and she certainly wasn't going to be a stepping stone on another's escape route. _Those naive idiots! Do they not realise this talk of escape is just moving us closer to our graves?_

But Celes was admittedly thinking of her own potential graduation. Monukuma had just offered an incentive and, though Celes knew the animatronic bear was just manipulating them, it really was tempting.

They been summoned by Monokuma during the evening. Initially, it seemed that the puppet master was just messing with them, with them being ordered to participate in a sudden class of something called Monukuma Tai Chi. The bear had said that it was to help with their stress and that he was going to adopt a more positive approach in regards to their education. Then he finally got to the point when they unveiled a large pile of money. This was declared to be a bit of positive encouragement, a carrot that would be gifted to the student who managed a successful graduation.

It was a good bit of bribery and one that affected her to an embarrassing degree. After all, the puppetmaster couldn't be trusted to live up to any deal they put forward. Plus, the act of graduating was hardly any easier than before Monokuma had presented that cash prize to them. But it had worked and she was uncomfortable with the company she shared in that regard. That was the idiot fortune teller, who clearly was desperate for a sum like that. There was also the pervert otaku, who seemed to have some interest in it. Yet everyone else seemed to not care about the money or even expressed disgust at the idea of killing for money. It was possible some of them were hiding an interest. Yet her own interest seemed to be visible to the others. Celes was not sure at all that the others had believed her expressed lack of need for money. In fact, she was sure Togami's smirking grin had grown when she said that. No one questioned him when he said he did not care about the money. Admittedly though, everyone was more concerned with his clear enthusiasm for the school life of mutual killing.

Speaking of that person, Celes had already set out to persuade Togami to try to keep to the curfew. Her effort had failed completely. Now, there was only one question in her mind in regards to efforts. Would Togami be more likely to try to kill her now for annoying him or would he instead decide that a person who'd waste time on such an ineffectual effort would not be worth killing?

She needed to give herself time to think and clear her head of matters that could distract her. Everything that was happening was clearly getting to her. There was no chance of her getting out of her if she leapt forward without thinking properly. Yet there was that money. There was the power to achieve her dream right there. With that kind of money, the castle of the great Celestia Ludenburg could become a reality. That place where she, the great noble who commanded vampire servants and loyal knights to follow her whims, lived a life of noble decadence would be an indisputable reality. That was the only reality about her that should exist.

As for Taeko Yasuhiro, the disgustingly pathetic person who even the puppet master seemed insistent on connecting to her via her student profile, Celestia Ludenburg would be finally free of that person. She was Celestia Ludenburg and any Yasuhiro, whether it be Taeko or that brain dead fortune teller, was beneath her attention. She'd be much happier if both were dead and that could happen very soon via a successful graduation.  

No, she really needed to stop herself. She needed to cool her head and wait for the best opportunity. In this game, failure means a brutal death. There's no room for rushed work, unless you actually sought to get into your grave.

“Ah, Celes, of course I'd bump into you around this time. I hope you are well”. Celes turned around to face the person who'd addressed her. It was Erika and she was walking towards her. “I did have a feeling that I might not though, in spite of your usual attitude in regards to the night period. You did seem a bit interested in Monokuma's incentive, so I feared you might be busy doing something distasteful”.

Of course the detective would spot that. Still, Celes feigned disinterest in the matter. “As I said, I have no reason to care about it. I already have that much money and could easily gain that much again and more via my talent. So, why should I care about the incentive?”

“Well, anyone would want to deny their interest in that money, given the situation. Besides, you lie all the time.”

Celes maintained her usual smile and continued on her way to the dormitory, with Erika walking by her side. “I do lie from time to time. It comes with my profession. Yet to say I lie all the time is incorrect. It's rather rude to say such a thing, Erika”.

Celes glanced at Erika. The look she was getting from the detective was discomforting. Her smile was more of a unpleasant smirk and her gaze was cold and full of contempt. She could feel that gaze, as though the detective could see right through her. Her response was just as full of contempt. “Yet it is true, Celes. You really should look in the mirror before accusing others of being unable to accept reality. The others just humour you and you know it. That's why the incentive interests you. Once you have that sort of wealth, everyone could be forced to take it seriously”.

Giving her a pitying look in response, Celes sighed. “I thought you were one of the smarter people here. Perhaps I was mistaken. You seem intent on attributing base motives to myself. But, as I said, I have no interest in the money”.

“Hmm, that's to be expected. Well, please forgive me. I am a detective. When you deal in the business of crime and mysteries, you become used to lies. So, I apologize for any offence caused. But that is my path, that of a relentless search for the truth. When there are truths to uncover, I can't resist my drive to rip them into the light. Surely, that is to be expected from a detective, right?”.

“Perhaps, but there are limits to what people can accept. In any case, I am not lying. If you are so keen on hunting for truths, perhaps you should focus on actual truths to uncover. Or perhaps you wish to test the skill of others for truth-seeking via your words? Sadly, I must confess a lack of interest in that. I am quite happy with my current Ultimate talent, I assure you”.

“You know I an not lying at all, Celes. But that is a topic for another time”. Then Erika frowned. “A financial motive is a bit unimaginative, anyway. All we'd need is a mansion setting and perhaps some superstitious rumours regarding witches or something like that and we'd have the pieces in place for a real hack mystery. Perhaps we should have the ultimate janitor around, so the servant culprit cliché could be played?”

While the change in topic was appreciated, Celes had no real interest in it. Yet it was preferable that it continue. “Well, Hifumi does fit the role of servant quite well, so it's unfortunately possible. I really hope not. If there is any more crimes in the future, wouldn't it be even worse if he was the culprit?”

“I could imagine worse, though he'd be an especially bad culprit. Yes, any mystery with him as the mastermind would be a joke. It would be a disgrace to the proud history of the mystery genre for such a story to exist. But I'm sure much worthier suspects will step forward”

“I hope not. After all, their potential success would result in death for all of us. That is why we must adapt to this situation. The only way to escape is to kill everyone else. I doubt any but Togami would desire that”.

“Sadly, our desires are often not possible. Personally, I think it's only a matter of time. But you are right. So, we must do all we can to try and avoid further deaths. By the way, have you had any success in regards to convincing Byakuya to abide by the curfew and try to work with the rest of us?”

Celes couldn't do anything to make the result of her efforts sound positive and she knew it. “No, I have not. But I am sure he can be made to accept the facts of our situation”.

“Ah”. It was a simple word, yet the sympathetic tone and the understanding look offered by Erika was surprisingly warm given that she'd called Celes a liar so recently. “He really is an idiot, in his own way. I pray you can break through his blockheaded-ness before he does something stupid. Byakuya would end up regretting it soon enough, but we'd be regretting it alongside him. No one wants that. Well, perhaps Touko might desire that, but she's more than a little disconnected from reality. I don't think her perspective counts”.

Celes gave a bit of light laughter in response, the kind of laughter that would made any admirer blush. Of course, Erika was no admirer and those that fitted that description here were thankfully not around. But she did laugh with Celes. There really was something pleasant about the detective, though Celes couldn't put her finger on it. Erika just felt like such a charming person that Celes felt able to overlook her bit of rudeness. Yet Celes did not know why. It was as if there was something magical about Erika that was pushing Celes into accepting Erika's charm. Celes felt this was something the others were being affected by. There was something wrong about it, yet this the matter of this phenomena seemed to keeping escaping her mind.

There was something illogical about it. For example, why did Erika not try to get Byakuya to change his behavior, instead of leaving the task to Celes? She seemed to care about the situation and had an influence over the others, yet Erika really was doing nothing with that influence to help. Why was that? Why did Erika seem content to be passive, with a sort of passivity more as though she was waiting for something? But Celes felt incapable of acting on that reasoning, as if something was preventing her from doing so.

Soon, they had reached the dormitories. Celes reaches her room and went for her door key. It was in her pocket, though something was not there. Her handbook, which should have been there, was gone. She turned around, puzzled about this.

Erika was holding a handbook in her hands, with far too much delight on her face for it to be her own. Celes dashed forward and, with a single swift gesture, ripped it from Erika's hands.

“Oh, that was quite a reaction. It's hardly like there's anything secret on it, right?”.

The detective seemed sincerely shocked at how Celes had forcibly taken the handbook from her. But Celes knew it was fake. After all, she did that sort of acting all the time. Though her performance was good, Celes would guess what was going on. True, the handbook had nothing of value in an objective sense. Yet it had that name on it, Taeko Yasuhiro.

So, that was her game. Celes would have to be more careful. That bit of information, that connection to worthless Taeko Yasuhiro, was probably her target. It was now absolutely certain that she was this detective's target. She calmly replied with “I merely do not like others taking my things. Please do not do that again. Besides, pickpocketing is hardly something a detective should be indulging in”.

But this development was one on top of a pile of rotten recent developments. Though she had no intention on letting her pleasant façade slip, Celes was already internally cursing this new dilemma. What could she do about this nosey blue-haired girl to ensure she never got at the name on Cele's handbook? A life and death contest with people like Togami as participants was more than enough without the additional problem of a detective who was apparently set on poking into her privates affairs. So, she had another problem to sort out. For now, there was one move she could do. After all, she was right next to her room.

“As much as I'd like to continue this conversation, it is nearly night time and I am tired. So, I must bid you adeiu. Gute Nacht, Erika”.

Without waiting for a response, Celes quickly entered her room, shutting and locking the door behind her.


	4. Monokuma Theatre 1

A set of red curtains rose and, one after another, the lights of a stage turned on, their blazing glow illuminating all that was on it. One was focused on a black and white bear, the host and game master for the festivities. Though the bear hardly looked like the sort of thing to command the attention of an audience, it certainly had that of the theatre-going witches. It's appearance prompted a round of applause from the audience that the bear allowed to last for a minute before stopping with a raised paw.

“Thanks for the warm welcome. The last time I ran a show like this, I had people trying to break into my studio to kill me”. The bear looked rather downcast, his eyes directed at the floor. “All I wanted was to create an innovative new show where people kill each other for a chance to escape a prison while I prod at their psyches to encourage them. What so wrong with that? I guess some people just can't understand real genius”.

Sympathetic noises came from the audience, along with denouncements of those who'd tried to stop the bear. Monokuma immediately became a lot more upbeat thanks to that.

“Wow, you guys really are wonderful. But you don't have to avenge my name or anything like that. I've already killed my critics. They all deserved it, especially that guy who said I stole my concept from Battle Royale. On an unrelated note, I'm sure all of you will give rave reviews for this show, right?”

Nervous laughter followed that joke. Everyone knew who else was involved with this show and Monokuma and his controller were very dangerous on their own.

“You know, I've always had dreams of fame. I've worked hard at it. I'm very adorable and sexy, but people keeping throwing obstacles in my way. But I won't let anything stop me. Even death won't keep my cute fluffy ass off the stage. I know what the people want and, as long as there's demand, there will be Monokuma. My star will always shine. Then it won't and I'll slip into the shadow of hacks. Then it'll become retro and everyone will love me again. My old fans will be talking about how they were totally into me before it was cool again. When I feel unloved, I just think of my fans and hand out with a few of them if I can”.

Monokuma then pulled out a electric fan and turned it on, then started fanning himself. “Yeah, I feel like a really cool bear now. Anyway, I'm honestly concerned about this show. I do have a winning formula, but do I really have enough to appeal to the key pervert demographic? Well, I'm a sexy bear, so that's the bestiality fans. Yet I need more”. Monokuma's visage turned into an expression of pure rage, his claws also bared as he waved his paws around energetically. “Dammit, why didn't I have Hiyoko as a part of this school life of mutual killing. That brat could have greatly helped with drawing in the paedophiles. What can I supposed to do now!”.

With that declaration, a certain blue haired witch appeared on stage, stuffing a sheet of paper into Monokuma's paw. “If you really want to appeal to that demographic, here's a solution”. The witch then made a dramatic exit, walking off stage at the most exhilarating walking pace imaginable.

Monokuma read the paper. “Yeah, this could work”. He then made a simple gesture with a paw, casting a simple bit of magic.

> Description: The sexiest bear ever sets off to have erotic adventures with a lesbian cat-girl witch and her blond haired lolita girlfriend. Free tissues will be provided by Monokuma.

“A winning strategy, don't you agree? I'm sure the amount of kudos this story gets will increase substantially”

**Author's Note:**

> Authors Note: Right, this chapter is meant to set things up, so there's a lot of, well, setting up involved. I hope it was okay regardless of that and that everything is clear. After this, we'll be moving on to new stuff. I won't be reusing any of the murders from the game, though that does not mean that those involved in those murders might not be involved in the murders in this tale.


End file.
